Invertible aircraft

a technology of invertible aircraft and wing, which is applied in the direction of rotors, instruments, vessel construction, etc., can solve the problems of affecting the safety of the first squad, and causing significant damage to property

Active Publication Date: 2014-05-22
AEROVIRONMENT INC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]Advantageously, the one or more motors are configured to drive the one or more rotors in either of two directions of rotation, and the control system is configured to control the one or more motors such that it can change a primary direction of thrust (with respect to the f

Problems solved by technology

A common and dangerous task for friendly personnel (e.g., military personnel or police) is clearing all or part of a building.
This activity may involve significant personal risk to the first squad.
Nevertheless, such a device can harm innocent bystanders and/or cause significant damage to property.
Nevertheless, typical UAVs are not sized and configured for indoor flight in the crowded and complex settings typically encountered while clearing a building, and getting a UAV into a building could prove problematic in

Method used

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Examples

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Embodiment Construction

[0025]The invention summarized above and defined by the enumerated claims may be better understood by referring to the following detailed description, which should be read with the accompanying drawings. This detailed description of particular preferred embodiments of the invention, set out below to enable one to build and use particular implementations of the invention, is not intended to limit the enumerated claims, but rather, it is intended to provide particular examples of them.

[0026]Generally, embodiments of a UAV under the present invention reside in a hover-capable UAV having one or more (and typically a plurality of) vertically oriented rotors (i.e., a rotorcraft). The UAV is configured to reverse the thrust direction of one or more of the rotors to adapt it to the orientation of the UAV with respect to gravity. Preferred embodiments of the invention are quadrotor UAVs that include orientation sensors, and a control system configured to seamlessly (i.e., without requiring a...

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Abstract

A rotorcraft including a fuselage, one or more motor-driven rotors for vertical flight, and a control system. The motors drive the one or more rotors in either of two directions of rotation to provide for flight in either an upright or an inverted orientation. An orientation sensor is used to control the primary direction of thrust, and operational instructions and gathered information are automatically adapted based on the orientation of the fuselage with respect to gravity. The rotors are configured with blades that invert to conform to the direction of rotation.

Description

[0001]This application is a Continuation application of International PCT Application No. PCT / US2012 / 000160, filed Mar. 23, 2012, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 465,705, filed Mar. 22, 2011, each of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.[0002]The present invention relates to an aircraft configured to fly and hover in either an upright or inverted orientation with respect to gravity, and to a related rotor with invertible blades.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]A common and dangerous task for friendly personnel (e.g., military personnel or police) is clearing all or part of a building. This typically entails killing, capturing, or forcing the withdrawal of all enemy personnel (e.g., enemy combatants or criminals) in the building, while preventing innocent-bystander casualties and other collateral damage. At some point in the act of clearing a building, a first squad of friendly personnel must enter a first room the building. This ...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): B64C39/02B64C27/59B64C27/04
CPCB64C27/12B64C27/59B64C11/20B64C11/32B64C29/0033B64C27/04B64U2101/70B64U30/29B64U2101/31B64U30/299B64U10/14B64C39/028B64U10/10B64U10/13B64U30/20B64U50/19B64U2101/00B64U2101/30B64C39/024B64C39/02B64C27/08B64C27/473B64C2027/4733B64D31/00B64C27/06G05D1/005B64D31/06G05D1/0038
Inventor KEENNON, MATTHEW TODDKLINGEBIEL, KARL ROBERT
Owner AEROVIRONMENT INC
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